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Passenger Cars, Bakkies & Vans News

Mazda celebrates five years as a standalone brand with 60% growth

By: Irma Venter 24th October 2019 It has been a prosperous five years for Mazda as a standalone company in South Africa, following the split from Ford in the local market in 2014. Starting out with 9 067 vehicles sold in 2015, sales have grown by 60%, to around 14 500 units in 2018, says Mazda Southern Africa MD Craig Roberts. →

Cartrack to add ‘Airbnb for your car’, other mobility solutions

By: Irma Venter 23rd October 2019 Cartrack is looking at introducing a host of new mobility-linked services to its vehicle tracking and telematics platforms, says CEO Zak Calisto. Cartrack customers would, for example, soon be able to rent out their private vehicles – “as a sort of Airbnb for your car”, he notes. →

Zak Calisto

Fourth electric car to launch in South Africa next year

By: Irma Venter 22nd October 2019 Mercedes-Benz’s first battery electric vehicle (EV) will go on sale in South Africa in 2020, says Mercedes-Benz Cars South Africa marketing director Selvin Govender. This means South Africa will have four full EVs on the market next year, namely the Nissan Leaf, the BMW i3, the Jaguar I-Pace and... →

The Mercedes-Benz EQC

Renault joins Toyota, Mercedes with hydrogen delivery van

By: Bloomberg 22nd October 2019 Renault will offer its electric Kangoo van with added hydrogen fuel-cells before the end of the year and roll out the technology to another model in 2020. The move sees the French carmaker joining competitors Toyota Motor Corporation and Hyundai Motor in sticking with fuel-cell vehicles even as... →

South Africa will not escape change in car-use patterns, says Absa

By: Irma Venter 21st October 2019 The rise of self-driving and electric vehicles (EVs) will impact the vehicle insurance industry, despite the fact that personal use cars will remain an aspirational consumer asset in South Africa for the foreseeable future, says Absa Vehicle and Asset Finance managing executive Faisal Mkhize.... →

Citroën returns to South Africa, launches three new models

By: Irma Venter 21st October 2019 Citroën has returned to South Africa following an almost three-year absence. Known for its unconventional styling, Citroën makes a comeback to South Africa as part of French parent company, Groupe PSA, reclaiming ownership of its brand in South Africa. →

The C3

Grant funding for local electric vehicle innovations up for grabs

By: Irma Venter 18th October 2019 The uYilo Electric Mobility Programme has opened the grant funding call for its 2019 Kick Start Fund Project. uYilo was established in 2013 as an initiative of the Technology Innovation Agency, with the aim to enable, facilitate and mobilise electric mobility in South Africa. UYilo says its 2019... →

Bloodhound car lands in South Africa, gears up for high speed runs

By: Irma Venter 18th October 2019 The Bloodhound land-speed record car has arrived safely at Hakskeenpan, in the Northern Cape, where it will stay for the next month as the team prepares for the car’s first high-speed test runs. The test runs are part of an effort to set a new world land-speed record. The current land-speed... →

Tshwane special economic zone will create jobs, says govt

By: Irma Venter 16th October 2019 The establishment of the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (SEZ) will – “without a doubt” – aid in job creation and economic growth, says Gauteng Economic Development, Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Morakane Mosupyoe. The proposed SEZ will be developed on 162 ha of land... →

Morakane Mosupyoe

Toyota gives R70m endowment towards manufacturing studies

By: Irma Venter 14th October 2019 The Toyota Wessels Institute for Manufacturing Studies (TWIMS) has received a R70-million endowment from the Toyota South Africa (SA) Educational Trust to create a manufacturing ambassador scholarship to fund promising students who want to complete a manufacturing-focused Master of Business... →

The TWIMS campus

Volvo, Geely to merge engine units in electric car push

By: Bloomberg 7th October 2019 Volvo Cars and China’s Geely plan to merge their engine operations into a standalone company, a step the Swedish automaker says will cut costs as it shifts to a fully electrified lineup. The combined unit would supply two million diesel and gasoline-powered engines, compared with the 600 000... →

Toyota increases localisation through expanded Hiace Ses’fikile plant

By: Marleny Arnoldi 4th October 2019 Automotive manufacturer Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) on Friday unveiled its upgraded Hiace Ses’fikile assembly plant, in KwaZulu-Natal, which manufactures South Africa’s most popular minibus taxi. TSAM invested R454-million to upgrade the facility, which now uses 13 Kawasaki robots for... →

Auto industry faces major paradigm shift, warns Toyota SA boss

By: Irma Venter 4th October 2019 It will be ten years-plus before South Africans will see a fully autonomous vehicle, or driverless vehicle, on the country’s roads, says Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) president and CEO Andrew Kirby. South Africa will need real-time data, he notes – infrastructure that will allow for constant... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Dylan Slater
TSAM president and CEO Andrew Kirby

SA auto industry prefers private, competitive EV charging network

By: Irma Venter 2nd October 2019 It will be best if South Africa’s automotive industry is not dependent on municipalities to provide charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs), says Jaguar Land Rover South Africa (JLRSA) network development director Brian Hastie. Hastie is also the chairperson of the EV subcommittee at... →

All mobility heading to electric future; solar and storage seen as key enablers

By: Schalk Burger 2nd October 2019 The Department of Science and Innovation’s (DSI’s) electric mobility initiative uYilo director Hilten Parmar on Tuesday highlighted that worldwide all forms of mobility, including personal, freight, aviation and marine transport, were moving towards the use or inclusion of electric systems. The... →

Govt, auto industry compiling position paper on EVs

By: Irma Venter 1st October 2019 The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) and the South African automotive industry have started work on a position paper regarding the role of electric vehicles (EVs) in the country’s domestic economy, says National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa)... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Dylan Slater
Naamsa CEO Mike Mabasa

Toyota unveils all-new connected car offering as standard

By: Creamer Media Reporter 26th September 2019 Toyota South Africa Motors, in collaboration with partners Altron and Vodacom Business, has deployed connectivity features and in-car Wi-Fi on all new Toyota and Lexus models from September. Natasha Odendaal tells us more. →

Toyota unveils all-new connected car offering as standard

Entries open for revamped 2020 Sasol Solar Challenge

By: Irma Venter 25th September 2019 The 2020 Sasol Solar Challenge (SSC) is officially open for entries. Participants can look forward to a new route and changes in the format of the solar car race. →

The 2018 winner, Team Nuon

Peugeot launches comeback as the French return to the helm

By: Irma Venter 25th September 2019 Peugeot and Citroën are ready for yet another comeback in the South African market, this time under turnaround specialist Xavier Gobille. Gobille is the former Nissan South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa marketing, sales and aftersales MD. It was, however, his 2008 appointment at the... →

The new Peugeot 108

Increase in vehicle sales driving HVAC demand

20th September 2019 Growing vehicles sales and inclination toward safety and luxury are the main factors which are driving the global automotive heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) market, according to a study released by global market intelligence and insights provider Fact.MR. The progression of the... →

MARKET DOMINANCE The Japanese automotive HVAC market has been estimated to dominate the market by value owing to the growing sales of vehicles

AMEO, Numsa sign new three-year wage agreement

By: Irma Venter 13th September 2019 The Automotive Manufacturers Employers’ Association (AMEO) has signed a new three-year wage agreement with the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa). The wage increase will be effected retrospectively from July 1. →

Master plans needed to expand productive South African sectors – Patel

By: Simone Liedtke 13th September 2019 To grow South Africa’s economy and expand its productive sectors, master plans will need to be developed for each of those sectors, Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel said on Friday. Speaking on the second day of the Metals and Engineering Indaba, in Sandton, on Friday, the Minister... →

Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel discusses some of government's initiatives in rebuilding the South African economy, alongside the steel and manufacturing sectors, at the fifth iteration of the Metals and Engineering Indaba, in Sandton. Video: Kutlwano Matlala; Editing Nicholas Boyd.

BNEF cuts 2019 EV forecast by 6%

By: Irma Venter 13th September 2019 Research service, BloombergNEF (BNEF) has cut its electric vehicle (EV) sales forecast for 2019 by 6%, to 1.5-million units. Global passenger EV sales fell in July for the first time in 30 months, with the last move into the red seen in January 2017. →

Vehicle makers, Numsa reach wage agreement, but no deal signed yet, says AMEO

By: Irma Venter 12th September 2019 South Africa’s vehicle manufacturers and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) have reached an in-principle wage agreement, says Automotive Manufacturers Employers' Association spokesperson Andile Dlamini. “The parties met this week to finalise the details of the agreement... →

Electric car boom to turbocharge battery metal producers - Moody's

By: Reuters 10th September 2019 Demand for metals used in battery electric vehicles could rise sixfold if electric cars reach 8% of road traffic by the mid-2020s, delivering huge dividends for producing countries like Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Moody's said on Tuesday. The credit ratings agency said a worldwide shift... →

ZF starts production at new East London axle plant

By: Irma Venter 4th September 2019 ZF Lemförder South Africa’s new plant in East London has started production of front and rear axles for its customer, Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA). MBSA – a member of the Daimler group – is investing R10-billion to gear up for production of the new generation C-Class at its nearby plant,... →

The ZF plant in East London

Jimmy died with his integrity intact, Ford Kuga fire inquest hears

By: News24Wire 4th September 2019 Reshall Jimmy died with his integrity intact when his Ford Kuga went up in flames, after speculation he had been on a gambling binge or had had an altercation with a group of mystery men were proved wrong, the inquest into his death heard on Tuesday. But the mystery remains: Why did he not get... →

KLT acquires Brits plant, eyes East London expansion

By: Irma Venter 3rd September 2019 Chassis manufacturer, the KLT Group, has acquired the AVMY Steel Science pressing, welding, assembly and e-coating plant, in Brits, in the North West province, in a deal worth roughly R30-million. The move forms part of the Indian group’s production expansion and diversification programme in... →

New-vehicle sales continue to decline; exports set new record

By: Irma Venter 2nd September 2019 South African new-vehicle sales continued their steady downward trend in August. Total sales for August declined by 5.1%, to 45 537 units, compared with the same month last year. →

Development of South African EV ecosystem critical, says Nissan

By: Irma Venter 30th August 2019 It is critical that the South African government creates an enabling environment for the adoption and uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) in South Africa, in order to catch up with global players, says Nissan Africa-Middle East-India connected cars and intelligent mobility coordination regional... →

EVs present economic and sustainability opportunities for SA

By: Schalk Burger 30th August 2019 Electric vehicles present economic and sustainability benefits for South Africa by offsetting fossil fuel imports and improving air quality, while providing potential storage and grid balancing benefits as the use of renewable energy grows, says electric vehicle and smart mobility company... →

Motus weathers buying-down trend, looks to acquisitions in Aus, UK

By: Irma Venter 28th August 2019 Current economic conditions are forcing South African consumers to buy down when it comes to vehicle purchases, moving either to pre-owned, entry-level or smaller cars, says Motus CEO Osman Arbee. Motus operates across the automotive value chain through four business segments, namely import and... →

Osman Arbee

Toyota, Suzuki to deepen ties

By: Bloomberg 28th August 2019 Toyota Motor and Suzuki Motor are strengthening their relationship by taking stakes in one another, the latest alliance in an industry that’s facing sweeping changes in technology, consumer preferences and business models. Japan’s biggest automaker will acquire about 5% of Suzuki shares for about... →

SKD production set to start at BAIC plant, CKD to follow in 2020, says IDC

By: Irma Venter 26th August 2019 Semi-knockdown production (SKD) is “about to start” at the BAIC South Africa (SA) plant in the Coega Industrial Development Zone, in the Eastern Cape, says Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) Automotive and Transport Equipment head Joy Balepile. The IDC is a 35% shareholder in BAIC SA, along... →

Photo by Dylan Slater
The BAIC plant in Coega

Fancy a 1960s Land Rover? How about a lookalike made in South Africa

By: Irma Venter 26th August 2019 Accountant Willie Oosthuizen wanted a rough-and-tumble, simple-to-fix, fun-to-drive, affordable vehicle for use on the family farm near Potchefstroom. Unable to find one he liked on the open market, he turned to building one himself: the Farm Rover, or ANT. →

The Farm Rover

Volkswagen to launch EV in South Africa in 2021, urges govt support

By: Irma Venter 23rd August 2019 Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) hopes to launch it first fully electric vehicle (EV) in the local market in 2021, should it be able to convince its German head office to bring the vehicle to South Africa. The ID.3 has a price tag of roughly $36 000 and a range of 420 km. →

A camouflaged ID.3

South Africa does not need domestic EV market to produce EVs, says Patel

By: Irma Venter 22nd August 2019 There is an opportunity to bring battery electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle production to South Africa, without first developing a domestic market and charging infrastructure for these vehicles, says Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel. Addressing the National Association... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Dylan Slater
Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel

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